Teaching Faculty

Description

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offers a major in Mathematics, a major in Computer Science, and minors in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science. A student may double major in Mathematics and Computer Science or major in one discipline and minor in the other. Students majoring in Mathematics may not minor in Applied Mathematics.

Three years of high school mathematics, including two years of algebra and one year of geometry, or equivalent preparation, are necessary for all courses offered in the Department. Trigonometry/Precalculus is strongly recommended. A student who studied calculus before enrolling in Hendrix College may receive course credit for MATH 130
Calculus I
if he or she takes MATH 140
Calculus II
with consent of the instructor and passes it with a grade of C or better. Alternatively, a student may receive course credit for MATH 140
Calculus II
if he or she takes MATH 230
Multivariable Calculus
or MATH 260
Differential Equations
with consent of the instructor and passes it with a grade of C or better.

AP Credit

Mathematics

A student who scores a 4 or higher on the Calculus AB exam or a 3 or higher on the Calculus BC exam will receive course credit for MATH 130
Calculus I.
In addition, a student scoring 4 or higher on the Calculus BC exam will receive course credit for MATH 140
Calculus II.

Computer Science

A student who scores a 3 or higher on the Computer Science A exam will receive course credit for CSCI 150
Foundations of Computer Science (w/Lab).

Major in Mathematics

11 courses distributed as follows:

MATH 130
Calculus I

MATH 140
Calculus II

MATH 270
Linear Algebra

MATH 290
Introduction to Advanced Mathematics

1 of the following two-course sequences:
MATH 320
Algebra
and MATH 420
Seminar in Algebra
or
MATH 350
Real Analysis
and MATH 450
Seminar in Analysis

Note(s):

A student who studied programming before enrolling at Hendrix College may take CSCI 151
Data Structures (w/Lab)
with consent of the instructor. If the student passes the course with a
C or better, the CSCI 150
Foundations of Computer Science (w/Lab)
requirement for the computer science major and minor will be waived for that student. The student will also be eligible to take any other CSCI course that has CSCI 150
Foundations of Computer Science (w/Lab)
as a prerequisite.

Senior Capstone Experience

Mathematics

The Senior Capstone Experience for the mathematics major consists of an undergraduate research portfolio and participation in two semesters of the Senior Seminar course. MATH 497
Senior Seminar
is a non-credit courses that meet biweekly to guide students through the process of developing a senior undergraduate research project. The undergraduate research portfolio consists of the senior project and any other research projects completed by the student outside of regular course work. The grade for the Senior Capstone Experience is based on the portfolio and an oral presentation of the senior project and will be determined collectively by the department faculty.

Computer Science

The Senior Capstone Experience for the computer science major is satisfied by completing a substantial computing project. Projects may involve software development, writing a literature review, or creating educational materials for particular topics or technologies. These projects will normally be completed as part of the required CSCI 410
Senior Seminar
course, under the supervision of the course instructor. The capstone grade for each student will be determined collectively by the department faculty.

Computer science majors wishing to graduate with distinction will undertake a year-long senior undergraduate research project (earning UR Odyssey credit) to satisfy the capstone requirement. Each research project will be undertaken in close collaboration with a faculty member from the department. Each project will culminate in a public presentation, typically during the Spring semester of the senior year. Students interested in this option should have at least a 3.0 GPA in the major. Ideally, students will begin project discussions with departmental faculty by the end of the junior year; in any event, the research project should begin by the end of the second week of the senior year.

Program Course Listings

Mathematics Courses

MATH115

Mathematics in Contemporary Issues

A survey of mathematics used to solve current problems, including analysis of political and social structures, problem solving, and abstraction. Topics may include voting methods, power distributions, apportionment, fair division, graph theory, coding theory, scheduling, personal finance, geometry/fractals and statistics.

Prerequisites

Recommended

Capacity

Quantitative Studies QS

Learning Domain

Social and Behavioral Analysis SB

MATH120

Functions and Models

Study of algebraic, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions within the context of mathematical modeling. Students who already have credit for MATH 130/140/230/260 are not allowed to take this course without instructor permission.

Prerequisites

Recommended

Capacity

Quantitative Studies QS

MATH130

Calculus I

Study of limits, differentiation, and integration of functions of one variable. Prerequisite: MATH 120 or its equivalent

Prerequisites

MATH 120 or its equivalent

Recommended

Learning Domain

Natural Science Inquiry NS

Capacity

Quantitative Studies QS

MATH140

Calculus II

Further aspects of integration of functions of one variable. Infinite series. Prerequisite: MATH 130 or advanced placement

Prerequisites

MATH 130 or advanced placement

Recommended

Learning Domain

Natural Science Inquiry NS

Capacity

Quantitative Studies QS

MATH195

Mathematical Problem-Solving

Practical sessions in solving challenging problems in mathematics (possible sources: periodicals, problem collection books, or Putnam exams). The class meets biweekly to discuss solutions and receive new assignments. Most problems are solved between sessions, individually or in groups. This course is a .25 credit activity course and may be repeated for additional credit. Note that there is a limit of two course credits from partial credit courses that can be used toward the 32 courses required for graduation. Students must complete four semesters of the seminar in order to receive Odyssey SP credit. Prerequisite: MATH 130 or MATH 140 or consent of instructor

Prerequisites

MATH 130 or MATH 140 or consent of instructor

Recommended

Odyssey Category

Special Projects SP

MATH215

Statistical Analysis

An introduction to some of the mathematical and statistical methods used in the analysis of social and natural scientific phenomena with an emphasis on the interpretation of experimental and survey data. Topics include elementary and combinatorial designs, basic statistical methods, correlation and inference, and regression analysis. Applications to the students’ major disciplines are included throughout the course as well as in one or more substantial projects. This course will not satisfy any requirements for a major or minor in mathematics. Students may not receive credit for both this course and another introductory statistics course such as BUSI 250, PSYC 290, or SOCI 210. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher

Prerequisites

Sophomore standing or higher

Recommended

Capacity

Quantitative Studies QS

MATH230

Multivariable Calculus

Vectors and coordinate systems in two and three dimensions, vector-valued functions, functions of several variables, extrema, multiple integrals, vector fields, including fundamental theorems of vector calculus. Emphasis is placed on developing geometric intuition. Prerequisite: MATH 140 or consent of instructor

Prerequisites

MATH 140 or consent of instructor

Recommended

MATH240

Discrete Mathematics

An introduction to the discrete paradigm in mathematics and computer science. Topics include induction, recursion, logic, algorithmic problem-solving, asymptotic analysis of algorithms, graph theory, number theory, and counting techniques. Prerequisite: MATH 130 or consent of instructor

Prerequisites

MATH 130 or consent of instructor

Recommended

Learning Domain

Natural Science Inquiry NS

MATH260

Differential Equations

Study of ordinary differential equations and systems of equations, through the use of analytic, qualitative/geometric, and numerical techniques. Applications from physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, economics, and psychology are presented. Prerequisite: MATH 140

History of Mathematics

A survey of mathematical ideas and discoveries in their historical context. The course combines mathematics (proofs and problems) with readings on its development. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: MATH 130 or consent of instructor

Prerequisites

MATH 130 or consent of instructor

Recommended

Learning Domain

Historical Perspectives HP

Capacity

Writing Level 2 W2

MATH290

Introduction to AdvancedMathematics

Fundamentals of set theory, logic, and functions. Emphasis is on developing the students’ theorem-proving skills, independent work, written and oral communication skills, and ability to critique others’ work. Prerequisite: MATH 140 and completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, MATH 240 or MATH 270

Probability and Statistics

Theory of probability and mathematical statistics including an introduction to basic concepts of probability theory, discrete and continuous random variables, distribution theory, moment-generating functions, and the Central Limit Theorem. Other topics may include the theory of statistical inference, point estimation, confidence intervals, regression, hypothesis testing, and analysis of variance. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: MATH 140

Real Analysis

A rigorous study of the structure of the real line and the properties of real-valued functions. Topics include sequences, limits, continuity, differentiability, and integrability. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: MATH 290

Seminar in Algebra

Algebraic topics that extend the fundamental ideas in MATH 320 will be presented. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: MATH 320

Prerequisites

MATH 320

Recommended

MATH450

Seminar in Analysis

Analytic topics that extend the fundamental ideas in MATH 350 will be presented. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: MATH 350

Prerequisites

MATH 350

Recommended

MATH490

Mathematics: Advanced Topics

A topics course in mathematics. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Recent section topics include Game Theory, Image Processing, Topology, Number Theory, Complex Variables. Consult the online course schedule for information about the topics currently scheduled to be taught. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Prerequisites

Consent of instructor.

Recommended

MATH497

Mathematics: Senior Seminar

A required seminar for all senior mathematics majors which meets throughout the academic year. Each student develops an individual research project under the direction of a faculty advisor and presents the results both orally and in written form. Students also majoring in computer science should enroll in CSCI 497 in one semester and MATH 497 in the other.

Intelligent Robotics

A study of the application of artificial intelligence to solving problems in robotics. Topics include subsumption, planning, machine learning, vision, neural networks, localization, and mapping. Students configure provided implementations of algorithms to control physical robots. Prerequisite: CSCI/PHYS 135 or CSCI 150

Prerequisites

CSCI/PHYS 135 or CSCI 150

Recommended

Odyssey Category

Special Projects SP

CSCI270

Computational Humanities

A survey of the tools and techniques of computation as applied to concepts in humanities. Covers the use of computing to analyze and synthesize textual, visual, and aural data, as well as the creation of new digital artifacts using computation. Topics normally include natural language processing and translation, information retrieval, sentiment analysis, document clustering, data visualization, procedural music generation, and digital art. Prerequisite: CSCI 150

Prerequisites

CSCI 150

Recommended

CSCI285

Scientific Computing

Students study problems arising from the physical, biological, and/or social sciences and the algorithms and theory used to solve them computationally. Included among the problems are numerical methods for maximizing a function and solving a differential equation. Prerequisite: MATH 130 and CSCI 150

Database and Web Systems

A study of designing and using a database management system (DBMS) and of developing Web applications. Topics include HTML, CSS, the JavaScript language, relational database theory, techniques for supporting ACID properties, and frontiers in database research. As part of a large team, students design and develop a system using both Web and mobile front ends that interacts with a DBMS using SQL. Prerequisite: CSCI 151

Prerequisites

CSCI 151

Recommended

CSCI352

Scalable Software

Introduction to the computer science concepts necessary for the development of large software systems. Further exploration of object-oriented development, testing, and version control techniques introduced in CSCI 151. Emphasis placed on user-centric interface design and writing precise requirements. Projects incorporate relevant technologies for modern software design, including network programming, databases, and mobile devices. Assignments emphasize the integration of multiple concepts in the context of developing realistic software applications. Students complete several projects in teams. Prerequisite: CSCI 151

Prerequisites

CSCI 151

Recommended

Learning Domain

Natural Science Inquiry NS

CSCI360

Programming Languages

An introduction to the design and implementation of modern programming languages, from small domain-specific languague to large-scale general purpose languages. Topics include abstraction, interpreters, compilers, type checking, embedded domain-specific languages, language design as problem-solving strategy and social aspects of language designing, adoption, and use. As a final project, each student will create and implement a language of their own design. Prerequisite: CSCI 230

Prerequisites

CSCI 230

Recommended

CSCI365

Functional Programming

An in-depth, hands-on introduction to functional programming in Haskell. Topics include algebraic data types and pattern matching, recursion, induction, folds, lambda calculus, laziness, functions, and monads. The last few weeks of the semester focus on computer-checked formal proofs, exploring the deep connection between functional programs and formal logic. Prerequisites: CSCI 150 and one of MATH 240 or MATH 290

Prerequisites

CSCI 150 and one of MATH 240 or MATH 290

Recommended

CSCI370

Interactive Game Development

An introduction to contemporary tools and algorithms for building interactive games. Students will learn fundamental design mechanics and implement a substantial development project. Topics may include steering and flocking behavior, path finding algorithms, finite state machines, behavior trees, alpha-beta pruning, Monte Carlo Tree Search, shaders, 3D modeling, animation, procedural content generation, and the intersection of games and society. Prerequisite: CSCI 151

IndSt:Biology Teaching Games

In this course intended for computer science minors, the student completes a semester-long project investigating the relationship of the student's major with computing. Typically, this involves developing software to solve a computational problem in the major discipline. This course must be taken as an independent study, supervised by a computer science faculty member in consultation with a faculty member in the student's major discipline. Prerequisite: CSCI 151

Prerequisites

CSCI 151

Recommended

Odyssey Category

Special Projects SP

CSCI410

Senior Seminar-WII

Focuses on written and oral communication concerning computing, with a secondary emphasis on quantitative performance analysis and reading and research skills. Among the written assignments will be design documents and user documentation; a research paper and presentation will be the culminating assignments. Fundamental communication skills will receive special attention. Prerequisite: Senior standing.

Prerequisites

Senior standing.

Recommended

Capacity

Writing Level 2 W2

CSCI490

Computer Science: Advanced Topics

A topics course in computer science. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Recent section topics include Interactive Game Development, Functional Programming, Artificial Intelligence, Distributed Computing. Consult the online course schedule for information about the topics currently scheduled to be taught. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.